Could the Titans reunite with Ryan Tannehill?
Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports
Before you go crazy reading that headline, let me present you the reasons why a reunion with Ryan Tannehill makes sense for the Titans.
Written by Dharya Sharma
Founder/Owner of SharmSports. NFL contributor at The Sporting News
1. The Titans might be back in the backup quarterback market soon
Will Levis is currently slated to be Tennessee’s No.2 quarterback. Though he could enter the season as the backup, the Titans could also look to trade.
Levis has no long-term future with the team, and he could fetch Tennessee a decent return on the market if the preseason goes well. So if the Titans trade Levis and aren’t comfortable with Brandon Allen as the QB2 (they shouldn’t be), then bringing back Tannehill on a cheap deal to be Ward’s backup would be a savvy move.
2. Get Cam Ward a mentor
Getting a young quarterback a veteran mentor helps development tremendously. Patrick Mahomes had Alex Smith, Lamar Jackson had Joe Flacco, and we saw last year that Marcus Mariota helped Jayden Daniels a lot in Washington.
There wouldn’t be a better mentor for Ward than Tannehill, as the 2019 Comeback Player of the Year knows a bit or two about winning football games for the Titans.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. Tannehill stated back in 2022 that he didn’t feel like it was his job to mentor Malik Willis, so he may not be willing to mentor Ward. However, Tannehill is at a different stage in his career now versus then, as his days as a starter are likely over.
Additionally, Tannehill had conversations with the Minnesota Vikings about signing there and mentoring J.J. McCarthy, so he may have changed his mind about playing the role.
3. Could step in and a start if needed
This one is self-explanatory.
Tannehill has a ton of starting experience and could provide reliable play as the starting signal-caller if something happens to Ward.
Though it likely won’t happen, I think bringing back Tannehill for one more season to help out Cam Ward would be a solid move by the Titans. There’s no way they are comfortable with the current quarterback room outside of Ward.